The Personal Water Filter Most Suitable for Camping and Climbing
Why do we love outdoor travel so much? Because it can let us out of the noise, walk in the forest, and mountains, shield the triviality of life, and relax. But whether you’re hiking outdoors for the weekend or on a professional hike, there’s no guarantee of one thing: access to safe, clean drinking water at all times.Water is a major problem in our outdoor activities.What is the personal water filter most suitable for camping and climbing？
Nature provides us with many natural drinking water sources, however, these can be contaminated with bacteria, parasites, and particulate matter, which can be harmful to your health. So water treatment is important for keeping healthy outdoors.
Whenever you go camping, you need a reliable way to purify and filter the water you find, and today I’m going to focus on a personal water processor.
Common Outdoor Products Water Filter Straw
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Pump Water Filter
Pump Water Filter use hand pumps to force water through hollow or fiberglass filters， All we have to do is put a hose directly into the water source and pump it by hand until we get all the water we need.
pros
- Use hollow fiber membrane or glass fiber membrane
cros
- Stay at the source of water all the time during filtration. Can’t leave
- Pumps are also heavier than other filtration systems.
- Components need to be processed onsite
Gravity Water Filter
Gravity water Filters use gravity to flow water from “dirty” storage bags hung on trees (or held aloft) through hollow fiber filters into clean bottles.
Pros
- Use hollow fiber membrane or glass fiber membrane
- It’s an excellent choice for camping in groups or at base camp. Can easily supply enough water for a large group of people
Cons
- These filtration systems tend to be a little heavier than extrusion systems, thanks to water storage bags, ladders, and tubes, but they’re a good way to filter large amounts of water with minimal effort.
- Onsite processing of components is required
UV Light Filters
Uv filters use UV lamps to destroy the DNA/RNA of bacteria, protozoa, and viruses, making them unable to reproduce and killing them directly.
Pros
- Treatment is easy, giving you quick access to drinking water.
- No need to clean and replace the filter element.
Cons
- It’s crucial to pre-filter the water so there are no particles in it
- depends on the battery
- requires processing many times
Water Purifier Bottle
Water Purifier Bottle has a built-in filter or purifier element. Using a filter layer such as hollow fibers and carbon packets to filter out bacteria and pathogenic bacteria in the water, anything larger than 0.1-0.01 micron or one-thousandth of the diameter of a hair will get stuck in the straw and not enter your mouth.
Pros
- Use hollow fiber membrane or glass fiber membrane
- 1-0.01 micron filter aperture,
- 4-stage filtration system
- Getting water is quick and convenient
- They’re lighter and cheaper than pumps and gravity filters
- You can use a filter straw or bottle alone
Cros
- The amount of water is limited by the size of the bottle
Squeeze Water Filters
Squeeze water Filters are made of hollow fiber membranes and usually come with a soft bag or water bottle containing dirty water. Squeeze water through a strainer into a clean bottle, cooker, or directly into the mouth.
Pros
- lightweight
- Strong compatibility
Cros
- Decreases the flow rate over time
Straw That Filters Water
The Water Purifier Straw, which uses a multi-layer filter system to remove 99.9% of parasites and 99.9999% of bacteria, can be inserted into the water at one end and sucked out of the other.
Pros
- Treating water is easy, giving you quick access to drinking water
- lightweight
- 4/5-stagefiltration system
- 1-0.01 micron hollow fibers membrane ensures water safety
Cros
- There’s water only when you’re at a source of water
- It is usually used by individuals
Chemicals
Chemicals are effective against protozoa, bacteria, and viruses, you just add them to the collected water and wait. Products are usually iodine – or chlorine-based and come in the form of drops, pills, or gadgets that mix the basic ingredients. Common bactericidal drops and tablets contain chlorine dioxide or iodine, which can kill bacteria, protozoa, and viruses if given enough time. Iodine does not kill all protozoa (i.e., Cryptosporidium). You simply add them to the collected water and wait.
Pros
- easy to use
- Cheap, small and ultra-light
Cros
- Wait between 30 minutes and 4 hours before drinking, and even longer for icy water
- Taste bad
- Iodine products are not effective against cryptosporidium, and iodine products are not suitable for pregnant women and people with thyroid diseases.
Boiling
Boiling water is always a bactericidal purification of choice, killing bacteria, protozoa, and viruses.
Pros
- This may be your best option if camping in freezing conditions, as many
- Filters can’t be used in icy conditions
Cros
- Boil water for more than a minute below 5000 meters, or more than three minutes at around 5000 meters above sea level (according to EPA data).
- You need to carry extra fuel
How to choose a most suitable personal water filter for camping and climbing
Key Considerations
The Water Purification Straw is a compact tool
- Should be portable
- Easy to use
- Protects you from germs in the area you’re traveling to
The Water Purification Straw is a life-saving tool in the wilderness and can be used to easily remove harmful bacteria from the water, making it a popular choice for hikers and adventurers. It differs from other water filters in that it filters the water directly from the source.
The filtering ability of different water filters may vary, so it is important to select a straw that filters out the exact type of bacteria present in the water.
Filtration Technology
Water filter straws are the little brothers of gravity water filter, water filter, and water bottle filter. They are compact, compatible, lightweight, and reusable.
Prefiltration
Many straws contain a pre-filter with a screen aperture = of 30-50 microns. Can filter sand, silt, rust, hair, fly ash, and other large particulate matter. To further clean your water and protect carbon and hollow fiber membrane filters. If you drink cloudy water, you must have a pre-filter.
Prefilter
PP cotton filter material filtration accuracy of 2-10 microns. Can filter out large particulate matter; Filter moss, red worms, pollen, protozoa, and other organisms.
Adsorption
- High iodine value pickling coconut shell activated carbon
- Activated carbon has an iodine value greater than 1100
- Design residence time ≈ 0.6-1 min
- Filling volume ≈ 2.5 g (about 3500m2 contact area)
Coconut Shell carbon(> 1,100 mg/g impacted value) is used in the water filter straw, which has micropore filtering and micropore adsorption functions, and the filtering accuracy is 0.1-50 microns, which provides the function of ultrafiltration + granular activated carbon. It can remove harmful bacteria and protozoan cysts found in freshwater sources. This makes most water safe to drink, whether you drink it straight from the source or from a bottle of unfiltered water.
Terminal Filter
In addition to carbon filters, many straws have hollow fiber membranes (filtration accuracy 0.01 to 0.1 microns) to remove additional bacteria. These membranes remove harmful bacteria by trapping them in porous tubes that allow water to pass through. It can filter and remove most bacteria and protozoa, and it is safe for drinking.
The filter pipette relies on you to suck the water out of the pipette, unlike a regular filter that may use a pump system. This can make drinking tiring, but it’s also a simple system that doesn’t require any experience to use.
Quality of Filter
Hollow Fibers
- 0.1microns average pore size
- 99.999% protozoan parasite removal
- 99.9999% micro-plastic removal
- 99.99999% bacteria removal
- Outside-in filter
Activated Carbon
- Chlorine, VOCs, harmful chemicals removal
- Odor reduction
- Taste improvement
PP Cotton
- 5 microns average pore size
- Small particle removal
Coarse Filter
- Large particle removal
Rating of merit
Flow Rate
Sample filters were tested with tap water. Pressure: 20KPa
Total Purification Capacity:＞4000L, Results of this test:4053L.
Date | Working Time /min | Purification Capacity /L | Initial Velocityml/min | Averaged Flow Rateml/min | Backwash Time /min | Backwash Capacity /L |
2021.4.15 | 223.4 | 180 | 967 | 806 | 36 | 18 |
2021.4.16 | 242.6 | 150 | 645 | 618 | 30 | 18.4 |
2021.4.19 | 255.9 | 160 | 586 | 625 | 32 | 19.4 |
2021.4.20 | 163.2 | 100 | 641 | 613 | 20 | 11.7 |
2021.4.21 | 188.3 | 110 | 575 | 584 | 22 | 12.5 |
2021.4.22 | 282.5 | 165 | 602 | 584 | 33 | 19 |
2021.4.23 | 249.3 | 135 | 555 | 542 | 27 | 13.7 |
2021.4.25 | 257.8 | 145 | 562 | 562 | 29 | 15.9 |
2021.4.26 | 374.9 | 185 | 552 | 493 | 37 | 19.8 |
2021.4.29 | 192.2 | 105 | 588 | 546 | 21 | 11.5 |
2021.4.30 | 320.1 | 170 | 552 | 531 | 34 | 18.2 |
2021.5.6 | 289.7 | 160 | 521 | 552 | 32 | 17.8 |
2021.5.7 | 315.9 | 140 | 532 | 443 | 28 | 19.2 |
2021.5.10 | 276.3 | 165 | 623 | 597 | 33 | 19.8 |
2021.5.11 | 213.3 | 125 | 555 | 586 | 25 | 14.8 |
2021.5.12 | 145.4 | 80 | 505 | 550 | 16 | 11.9 |
2021.5.13 | 409.3 | 210 | 532 | 513 | 42 | 18.5 |
2021.5.14 | 493.7 | 240 | 504 | 486 | 48 | 23.5 |
2021.5.17 | 321.2 | 150 | 460 | 467 | 30 | 14.6 |
2021.5.20 | 195.6 | 90 | 458 | 460 | 18 | 8.4 |
2021.5.27 | 415.5 | 185 | 457 | 445 | 37 | 18.3 |
2021.5.28 | 627.3 | 205 | 338 | 327 | 41 | 15.2 |
2021.5.31 | 811.1 | 265 | 335 | 327 | 53 | 19.6 |
2021.6.2 | 578.4 | 160 | 283 | 277 | 32 | 11.5 |
2021.6.4 | 425.6 | 135 | 326 | 317 | 27 | 9.3 |
2021.6.7 | 485.3 | 138 | 291 | 284 | 27.6 | 9.7 |
total | 8753.8 | 4053 | / | / | 810.6 | 410.2 |
Some filters are designed to be ultra-light, while others prioritize flow rate, some are used in series with a water bag system, and others are stand-alone units. Weight has always been a concern for backpackers.
While most straw filters are compact, there is little variation in size and weight from home. When you’re traveling long distances and carrying all your equipment with you, an ounce and an inch are important. Most straw filters are 6-9 inches long and weigh 2-6 ounces.
Filtration Rate
If you don’t want to spend too much time filtering water, then the speed of filtering water is an important factor. We know that the speed of filtering water is affected by many factors such as the source of water, the use of a pipette, the filtration accuracy, and the filter layer. The dirtier the water, the smaller the filtration accuracy, the more the filtration layer, and the lower the filtration speed. The universal filtration and filtration speed is 280-320ml/min.
Maintenance Cost
After use, reverse water is produced from the outlet 2-3 times, the straw is backwashed, and the remaining water inside the straw is gently thrown out, and then placed in a cool place for preservation. After backwashing in pure water each time, it can be washed or soaked with 75% alcohol and stored in dry air to extend the service life.
It is worth noting that during the long-term operation of ultrafiltration membrane, pretreatment and maintenance backwashing can only solve the problem of the speed of membrane contamination. But cannot solve the pollution problem fundamentally. Even if the pretreatment is done very well, the small number of impurities in the water gradually accumulate and the separation performance of the membrane is gradually affected.
The replacement frequency of filter elements mainly depends on the water quality, frequency of use, and maintenance mode. Basic can keep 6 months use period and 1500 Liters of filtered.
Easy to Use
When choosing a water filter for backpacking and hiking, it’s important to consider ease of use. If the filter is difficult to use, you may filter less often, thus reducing water use and increasing the risk of dehydration. For individuals, filters that are quick or don’t require much setup are probably the easiest to use.
Waki water filter straws， You just need to insert this camping water filter directly into water sources or attach it to other water bottles or hydration packs. After each use, simply blow out the straw to backwash it easily, to extend its life cycle.
Compatibility
The inlet of the filter pipette may be threaded and can be attached to a water bottle or an accompanying water bag. Not only does this allow you to turn most water bottles into convenient containers for unfiltered water, but it also allows you to squeeze the bottle, reducing the amount of force you have to push the water through the straw
- Inhale directly under water
- Snort l Connect to an l mineral water bottle or coke bottle
- Outdoor soft water buckets filter l and provide drinking water for groups
- Outdoor soft water buckets filter l and provide drinking water for groups
- Inhale in a sports kettle
- Backwash them using mineral water bottles
Flavor
Part of the filter straw in the filter layer uses an activated carbon filter, an activated carbon filter mainly through the carbon bed to complete. Activated carbon particles have a lot of micropores and a huge specific surface area at the same time has a strong adsorption capacity. Part of the surface oxygen-containing functional group can therefore adsorb part of organic matter. More importantly, activated carbon can further remove the residual organic matter and floating matter in the water, and reduce the residual chlorine content in the water.
Personal water filters for outdoor
Personal water filters are mini and lightweight filtration systems that remove harmful substances (pollution, odors, chlorine, and organic chemicals) and improve the taste. Ensure the safest water in the harshest conditions.
Finally, reduce your carbon footprint by using fewer single-use plastic bottles
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